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The final part of the Forts trilogy is now available in both ebook and print editions. For all the links fit to link check out MY WEBSITE!The Kindle edition can be found by simply clicking the picture above.Let me just say that it feels great to finally have this series wrapped up. Could things have gone smoother? Sure. Would I have preferred to not have the issues with the original publisher of the series? Of course. In the end, I wrote three books.Me. I did that.That's nearly 600,000 words and three years of my life. Despite everything that's happened and the way things played out, it's something to be proud of. I like Forts.It was important to me to write it and even more important that I finished it. It was fun and it was therapy, and I learned a lot about myself and my work from it, and in the end I wouldn't change a word.That's a pretty cool thing.Steven
0 Comments on ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS IS NOW AVAILABLE! as of 1/1/1900
The book is arriving soon. Really soon. Before you know it, I'll be asking you to fork over some of your hard earned cash to read it.
Until then, here's some free stuff.
16. TEMAZCAL
The heat was sweltering. The summer had been particularly rough and dry, and altogether uncomfortable. This was an angry heat, tailor-made for the suffering of those forced to live through it. In the backyard of the Jarvis family, tucked safely beneath the shade of a thick-trunked Oak Tree, sat the house of the family dog, Mr. Button. Built when Button was a pup, the years were noticeably rough on the modest dwelling. The rain had warped its walls and rusted the nails holding them perilously in place. Once a crisp, almost blinding shade of white, the paint had been peeling away for quite some time, exposing the worn and damaged wood beneath in softball sized clumps of pure ugly. The roof was little more than ragged jumble of partially rotted materials, and the likelihood of the structure's collapse grew substantially with every passing day. So pathetic was this shell of a once proud doghouse that Mr. Button had taken to lying outside rather than in. Even he was capable of understanding it was a disaster waiting to happen.
Despite the heat and the ever-present fear of being buried beneath a heap of rotted wood, jagged sheet metal and copper colored nail chips, eight year old Tommy Jarvis had been sitting cross-legged inside the funky-smelling piece of construction for hours. His hair was soaked with perspiration, his clothes drenched so thoroughly they could literally be ringed out. The dirt beneath him transformed into a moist, muddy-wet stew of yellow-tinted sweat and soil that smelled as bad as it looked. His throat was dry and his lips cracked to the point that that act of running his tongue across their surface no longer accomplished anything at all.
Despite his aching bones, and the fact that his vision had begun to blur, young Tommy had no intentions of leaving.
He was determined to remain exactly where he was. He wanted to sit there, and stay there, and keep himself angry, because anger was what he was feeling, and because it was all he wanted to feel. Would it have been possible, Tommy might have sat in that exact spot forever, until his skin peeled away, caught the breeze and fluttered off, until his bones turned to dust and became indiscernible from the ground beneath.
0 Comments on ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS SAMPLE CHAPTER! as of 1/1/1900
That's right, the final piece in the Forts Trilogy arrives on the 14th of next month!If you were planning on reading the series from the beginning and just haven't gotten around to it, there's no time like the present to get started.
The links are HERE and the first book in the series is still a measly $0.99 for all the kindle owners out there.
Get on it.
0 Comments on ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS HAS A RELEASE DATE! as of 1/1/1900
It's been a while since I updated over here, so what have I been up to?Working mostly.Was that a boring answer?I guess it was a bit of a boring answer and I guess I should elaborate.The final piece of the FORTS TRILOGY is on schedule and expected sometime before the end of the year (November). If you haven't yet scooped up a copy of the first two, my suggestion is to get on that. If you have no interest in scooping up the first two, prepare yourself for one of my patented knuckle sandwiches. Beyond that, I'm currently illustrating a picture book for Featherweight Press, and I've been slowly piecing together my next project.Check out the trailer below:The first volume of Goats Eat Cans is in the hands of my editor and set for release early next year. You can find more information at the OFFICIAL SITE.Even if you hated FORTS, give this one a try. It's nothing like FORTS.Nothing at all.Seriously.
1 Comments on WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?, last added: 9/24/2011
The above image is the final cover for the thirds and final book in the Forts series, Endings and Beginnings!
The OFFICIAL WEBSITE is also in the process of being updated to reflect the look of the new book and I'll be adding some goodies on there over the next few weeks!
Steven
1 Comments on FORTS: ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS COVER REVEAL!, last added: 8/21/2011
Liars and Thieves will hit in both e-book and print editions in the next couple months. In my eternal attempt to keep you interested, I'm going to be offering up some chapters leading up to to the release.
If you want to get caught up before Book 2 becomes available, the cheapest method is to snag yourself a copy the Fathers and Sons "Special Edition" for Nook or Kindle at the link below.
“Boys?” Edna Williamson called out from the bottom of the stairs. “Your father and the chaperone should be here soon! Why don’t you come downstairs?”
Both Tommy Jarvis and his younger brother Nicky clearly heard her words, yet neither made a movement toward the bedroom door. It had been months since either boy had been in the same room with their father. The abuse allegations, and subsequent investigation proving them to be true, resulted in their removal from his care and placement with a foster family. For almost half a year they lived with a couple of retirees named Ed and Edna Williamson. In spite of their comically similar first names, the Williamsons proved to be decent, caring people — not perfect people by any means, but good people — the kind of people Tommy and Nicky barely believed existed anymore. Neither boy had forgotten about their father, yet at the same time they were only now beginning to settle in to their new life with the Williamsons. Things were easier for them here, quieter and certainly a lot less painful. The truth of the matter was that neither boy found the idea of introducing their father back into their lives even remotely appetizing. A week and a half before, a social worker for the state sat the pair down, telling them that Chris had been attending his meetings, that he was sober, and remorseful, that he was making great strides, and was anxious to see them again. Of the two, Nicky was slightly more open to the idea of reuniting with their father, but then Nicky’s past experiences with the old man were quite different from Tommy’s.
The memories – the awful, stinging memories –just recently began melting away for the fourteen year old Tommy Jarvis. What would happen now though? What would happen, when after all these months, Tommy came face to face with his father? Would the very old, very thick anger boil up from wherever he’d managed to shove it down deep inside his belly? Would the pain attached to those memories like a nasty parasite feeding off a half-starved host prove too much to bear? There were some questions in life for which one simply didn’t want answers. For Tommy Jarvis, these were those very
0 Comments on SAMPLE CHAPTER - BOOK TWO - CHAPTER TWO as of 1/1/1900
The released of Liars and Thieves is just around the corner, as is the Re-Release (Special Edition) of Fathers and Sons! Because I'm a really nice guy, I've decided to post a few sample chapters to wet your whistle. (Which is sort of a gross saying, but whatever.)
I figured it best to start with Chapter One.
Enjoy!
1. Traitor to the Cause
“Tell me what you’ve done with it, and I will consider sparing your life.”
For him, time ceased to have meaning long ago. How many days had he spent shackled in the king’s dungeon? Could it be weeks? Months even? Long enough that the heavy chains around his ankles sliced into his skin, merging with the muscle underneath and forcing the flesh to heal grotesquely around them. How often was he dragged from his cell and beaten? How many times had he teetered through a wobbly haze, barely conscious on the razor-thin line between life and death? Two hundred? Three hundred? Maybe four? His body no longer resembled the one he’d spent a lifetime becoming familiar with. Quite adept in the dealing of punishment, the guard’s fists had changed him into something else. Like a reflection in a broken mirror, he was shattered, distorted, and barely recognizable. Busted numerous times, his jaw dangled from his face, useless. All but a few of his teeth had been removed — some ripped out during hour-long torture sessions, others knocked loose during any one of the regular beatings. His skin, once a healthy dark green, had become a disgusting, blotchy mess of purples, blues, and deep grayish-blacks. Even the most minute of movements on his part brought forth worlds of agony. The gentle breeze from a window nearby instantly reduced him to tears. His limbs had long since ceased functioning, devolving his form a million years and making upright movement impossible. Having suffered through things no creature should ever be forced to feel, he found himself crumpled in a garish heap at the feet of the massive, stone-faced tyrant king of Ocha. A small part of him wondered if he’d made the right choice. This pain could have been avoided. He brought this on himself.
Gently nudging the broken, tangled body of the creature sprawled before him, the massive king sighed deeply. “How sad it is to see you like this, Krystoph. I had such high hopes for you. You were so very talented in the art of killing … so frighteningly, wonderfully talented. There was a time, not too long ago, when my opinion of you approached admiration.”
Shaking his head while flashing a disgusted look at the broken lump, the king turned swiftly, pacing back to his throne before reclining with yet another heavy sigh. “I gave you everything, and what did you offer in return — deceit, lies, and thievery? You’ve shamed your king. You’ve shamed your country and all those cal
0 Comments on SAMPLE CHAPTER - BOOK 2 - CHAPTER ONE as of 1/1/1900
More than likely you’re silently saying to yourself, “Oh that’s too bad. It must not have sold well. That poor, poor man.”
Let me assure you, that’s not the case – far from it in fact. The choice to continue the series with someone else was actually mine and mine alone. I never signed a contract for the series as a whole and after my experience with the first book there was no way that was going to happen. It wouldn’t have been the right choice.
I don’t see any reason to go into the details of the “breakup” (for now), but I will say that Forts is moving to greener, less frustrating, and far more professional pastures.
So what does this all mean to you?
Well, it means that the copy of “Fathers and Sons” you no doubt have sitting in a place of prominence on your bookshelf – or next to the crapper, either way. That copy of Forts will very soon be an out of print collectors edition!
That’s right, I said collectors edition and I meant it!
Will you be able to sell it on ebay to pay the rent? Eh, I wouldn’t count on that.
Will you be able to trade it for a pack of gum and maybe a Butterfinger bar? Yep, I think you might be able to pull that off.
Still, your copy is special now. It’s unique. If you sent it to me to get autographed it’s even more unique. You own it, some other people own it, but no one else is ever going to own it – ever. That’s pretty cool, no?
For those of you that haven’t got your hands on a copy yet, a second edition print version of the book will be arriving with a brand new cover before you know it. (Probably within the next few months in fact.) Along with the print version, the book will FINALLY make its way to e-readers everywhere! (This is long overdue.)
Oh, all those editing flubs the original publisher left in – you know, the ones that caused the sentence “This could have been a fantastic book if it had a good editor” to appear in nearly every review. Thankfully those are going to be fixed up for the second edition.
For those of you waiting patiently for “Liars and Thieves,” right around the time the second edition arrives book two is going to hit the shelves! It’s a heck of a lot later than was originally planned, but I’m hoping it’ll be worth the wait.
The nonsense of the past is in the past and hopefully that’s where it’s going to stay. Writing has officially picked up again on the final book in the series and I’m probably only 40,000 words or so from finishing it up.
Forts has a new home, and this is a good thing.
Scratch that and revise: Forts has a new home, and it’s a giggity-great thing.
It’s better than a steaming hot pizza and a tub of ice cream served to you by Rosario Dawson in a French maid’s outfit.
Okay, maybe it’s not that good…
It’s still pretty fantastic though.
Steven
3 Comments on THE STATE OF FORTS ADDRESS, last added: 1/31/2011
The publisher of the Forts series, CANONBRIDGE LLC is working alongside the SOLDIERS' ANGELS charity and has reduced the cost of the book in hopes that you'll purchase, donate, and get it in the hands of the soldiers overseas. This is not only for Forts, but some of their other titles as well.
If you're interested, click the words CANONBRIDGE LLC for more details.
See how easy I made that for you?
Go me!
Steven
0 Comments on DONATE FORTS - 1,111 Books for 11/11 as of 1/1/1900
Along with the ten-thousand other things I'm currently working on is the sequel to Paul Wood's "Cousin Albert" Series. Not only is Albert taking a trip to the zoo this time out, but he's doing it in full color. That's right, no more black and white interiors, this time it's color all the way.
While I haven't seen the full manuscript yet, I have gotten started on the cover. I'm pretty pleased with the overall design - think it'll be a quality piece when completed.
Hopefully it will...
Otherwise, as an eight year old might say, I'm in deep doo-doo.
On another note, it's only about four months or so until book 2 in the "Forts" series comes out. I'm excited. A part of me thinks it'll be the one people remember the most. It really is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series It's a bit darker, the ending will leave you wanting more, and once it gets rolling it doesn't stop.
Then there's Krystoph...
You're going to like Krystoph.
3 Comments on WORK IN PROGRESS - Albert Zoo Cover, last added: 7/21/2010
That's right, as of this morning there are not one, not two, not three or even four, but forty-two pages of "Forts: Fathers and Sons" available for you to read online!
Get this...
It's totally free!
Don't say I never gave you anything.
Why not click the link below and take a look? What have you got to lose? Nothing.
Or did you already forget that I said it was free?
Damn you and your short memory.
Steve
0 Comments on READ 42 PAGES of "FORTS" ONLINE!! as of 1/1/1900
I've finally put the kibosh on the cover of book 2 due out before the end of the year.
The overall tone of the book is a little darker, and I think the cover matches. If you liked anything about book one, the sequel is going to make you go bonkers.
You can hold me to that.
On another note, the profiles page of the Forts site has been updated to include four new characters. Two of them you'll be familiar with from "Fathers and Sons," the other two you'll meet in "Liars and Thieves."
Well, book one is officially available everywhere. Book two is written, being edited, and the chapter illustrations are done.
So what am I missing?
Yep, a cover.
I did one a while back, but honestly it didn't quite sit right. The characters didn't work for me, and honestly it didn't capture the absolutely bonkers, surprise the poop out of you, and leave you shaking your head in disbelief nature of of the second book.
So I've started over.
I like this new version. I like it a lot in fact. Granted, it's still in the early stages, but I think it'll capture the intensity of book two much better. Things get much darker, much crazier, and much more unpredictable. I need the to make sure the cover reflects that.
If you haven't yet ordered a copy of "Fathers and Sons" I'm not exactly sure what you're waiting for.
What else are you going to do with your money? Pay bills? Save for retirement?
You're smarter than that.
Spend it needlessly on things you don't need.
Come on, all the cool kids are doing it.
Steve
P.S. Please ignore the messy desk - you know, because I'm messy.
1 Comments on FORTS BOOK 2 - COVER IN PROGRESS, last added: 5/4/2010
http://www.jumro.com/?id=default ingin pergi ke bali tapi segan dengan biaya mahal, kami www.jumro.com hadir dengan sistem cerdas. MLM pertama yang memberikan garansi satu tahun uang kembali kepada membernya, jika tidak ada hasil. pelayanan travel yang sangat memuaskan, ditanganmi oleh tangan2 berpengalaman. investasi yang minim dengan hasil yang maksimal............mendapatkan fasive income sepulang dari bali.
The trailer for book 2 is done. Be warned however, if you're currently still working your way through book 1, there are some minor spoilers here.
Otherwise, enjoy (Double Click to see in full size on youtube)
On another note, I'll be appearing on a segment of The Annie and Burl show this coming Saturday night! The show starts at 10:00 EST, and I should be popping up around 10:15. I'll be discussing the book and whatever else the cool table wants to toss my way. If you're bored, listen in!
Some people that have already gotten their hands on the copy started sending me pictures of themselves with the book. Granted, it's a little unexpected, but I'm digging it!
Below is a picture sent to me by my pal Erik.
Cool pose, no?
Yes it is.
So cool in fact that I used it for reference when sketching up a chapter illustration for book 2 (which is hopefully due by the end of the year).
Will Erik be flattered? A little weirded out maybe? Call his lawyer and see if he has a case? All of the above along with an glass or warm milk to help him sleep at night?
To say I was excited would be the grossest of gross understatements in the history of gross understatements.
Does that make sense?
There are more buying options coming later in the week, but Amazon is the first to pick it up.
If you're feeling extra froggy and want to help me spread the word CLICK HERE Any help in spreading the word that you're willing to offer would be more appreciated than you could possibly imagine.
Seriously, I'll be your best friend and stuff.
Steve!
3 Comments on THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE!!, last added: 4/8/2010
congratulations! nice to meet you on jacketflap. stop by my blog sometime and say hello. i love keeping in touch with inspiring artists and writers, and it is so nice to meet another creative who does both :) best wishes to you! juliette juliettecrane.blogspot.com
So it seems the book is a wee bit late in getting where it's supposed to get - which admittedly sucks.
However we're going to take this lemon and make ourselves a little lemonade!
Sound good? Of course it sounds good.
The delay give you yet another chance to get something free.
What I want you to do is keep an eye on - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
You know, go there every few hours search for me, or the the title, or whatever and the minute the book pops up copy and paste the link then drop it in an email and send it to me at - [email protected]
The first email I get with a valid link not only gets the book for free, but gets it autographed as well.
If that's not some sugary, tangy, delicious lemonade I don't know what is.
If you're too lazy to do any of this, no worries. I will undoubtedly be bombarding you with messages of some sort the moment the book arrives.
0 Comments on BOOK DELAYED A SMIDGE - HERE'S THE DEAL as of 1/1/1900
Well, the contest for not only a free but autographed copy of “Forts: Fathers and Sons” has officially concluded, and a winner chosen.
First off, let me just offer up a HUGE amount of thanks to everyone that entered. The submissions were good – maybe too good. Scratch that, they were far too good. In fact, they were so good that picking one became quite impossible.
The decision making progress made “Sophie’s Choice” seem about as difficult as trying to figure out where to eat dinner by comparison.
I kid you not.
Some of you opted to go the sympathy route…
“…because I am a poor elementary teacher who may be jobless and can't afford to buy books! “
This is undeniably a quality approach. At the same time however it banks on the fact that behind my gruff exterior I’m really just an ol’ softy. Those of you going this route rolled the dice. In truth might just be a big ol’ jerk. Maybe there’s just darkness, and slime, and festering puss filled boils where my heart should be.
Others decided their best chance of success was to butter me up…
“…I really, really want a free copy of "Forts" because I want to get a better idea of the inner workings of the genius who is married to Tami.”
Calling me a “genius.” If that’s not buttering me up I don’t know what is. Admittedly this seems like the most obvious approach. I enjoy a good ego stroking as much as the next guy. Or do I? Maybe compliments make me uncomfortable? Maybe my brain is as black as my puss-boil-heart and I’d almost prefer being ridiculed?
Thus bring us to this approach…
“…because I am too damn cheap to buy a copy. That’s it…I'm also too damn lazy to write anymore reasons.”
I call this one the angry man. While on first glance you might not think it’s the most logical choice. If you know anything about me though, you know that I myself am a bit of an “angry man.” I’m also sort of lazy. It takes some research and a hefty set of scones to go this route.
There were of course a few completely bizarre submissions…
"�fish can't fly, and I'm terrible at pinochle."
Those choosing to go this option obviously know I’m a weirdo and played to those sensibilities. There’s a high chance of success here.
Some opted to flat out threaten me…
“…if I don't Chuck Liddel has promised to kick your ass, and to make matters worse he won't even let you video it to show anyone and then we will spread the rumor that your wife kicked the s&*t out of you while you were wearing ballerina shoes and granny panties.”
Interesting way to go – scaring me into giving away free stuff – I suppose it makes perfect sense on the most basic of levels. At the same time though, there is a flaw in this logic and this submission specifically. You see, I do wear granny panties, but I am not however ashamed of this information getting out.
They’re just more comfortable.
Then there were those that tried to take advantage of my love for the next generation…
“… because, from what I have seen, it will be the most beautifully illustrated story book that I have yet to read to my three children, sure to set their minds racing and inspire their own creativity.”
Do I really love the next generation though?
Some opted for reverse psychology…
“…I've been giving it some thought, and I've decided that I really don't deserve a free copy of your book. I think that you should give a copy to someone who is much more deserving.”
Others broke into a stand-up routine…
“…I was recently threatened with several copies of "Enemy Invaders" and I'm going to need something to hold them at bay."
I have a sinking feeling a few might have been dabbling in mind-altering substances while typing…
I did an author interview with the incomparable, goofy hat wearing Liz Czukas (No, I don't know how to pronounce it either) over on her blog! Despite the hat, she's a heck of a writer and it was a lot of fun.
You'll get some information on the book, a little on me, and maybe some you never wanted.
It was so much fun in fact, that I'll even forgive her for using the wrong cover image.
In the world of "Forts" there are a hundred doorways leading to a hundred different worlds. While I won't be able to visit them all over the course of the three books, I thought it might be fun to add to the mythology by sketching up a few alien races on the spot.
Here's the third in the series.
The book is being released Saturday the 20th!
Steve
0 Comments on 100 WORDS - 100 MONSTERS - EPISODE 3 as of 1/1/1900
Yay! Who's excited for Forts? This girl.